Mended Hearts
by Amy Hamato
Summary: I really don't have a summary for this but I do have warnings! Warning: Major Character death. Leo/OC Romance and a child involved, The turtles aren't mine. Rated T for swearing and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys, this is my first /real/ TMNT story, hope you like it. This story has really been in my head for a few years now. So I hope it comes out good.**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned the turtles... Michael Bay never would have got hold of them if I owned them.**

**_Shout outs: Scribe of Turesa and Mikell for letting me bounce ideas off on them. Thanks girls. Love ya!_ **

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><p>"Thank you" he whispered. Sadness overwhelming him as he watched his older brother be lowered into the ground. His tears fell down his face, his amber eyes glimmering in the sunlight. He will miss his brother. No one else could ever replace him. He wouldn't want them too. He fell to his knees as others began to fill the hole with dirt.<p>

"Why did you leave me?" he whispered brokenly, he was scared. He had to be the older brother now. He couldn't be Leonardo. He was Raphael. Hot tempered, late night runs, bashing heads, and arguing with his brothers. He missed his brother already. He closed his hands, griping them so tight his knuckles were white. He looked over and saw a woman in the distance.

The woman had a wedding ring on, she knew Raphael didn't particularly like her, but she married Leo a few years ago. She had their child who was 4 years old and standing beside April. This woman was still a mystery to Raphael, but he did promise his brother that he would take care of her. Her name was Amyrillis. Yes it was an odd name, but it was for an odd girl. I mean really, who likes walking, talking, ninja turtles. Amy does apparently.

Amy walked slowly over to where they buried Leonardo, she had tears streaming down her face. She whimpered a little and sat in the grass beside the dirt, placing a white rose on the other flowers.

"You really loved him, didn't you?" Raphael stated.

Amy looked at him, startled he actually spoke with her. "Yes. I love him still. No one will take the place of him in my heart."

Raph had never really hated her from day one, but he didn't like a stranger in his home. She never really understood it, but they were talking. It shocked him about as much as it did her.

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><p><strong>Flashback<strong>

Amy walked in the lair, her arm locked in Leo's. She was a young, spunky woman, a tom boy of sorts. She wore t-shirts, jeans, and converses. She was originally from Georgia. She only had one leg. She had a prosthesis, but she honestly preferred her wheelchair. The only reason she liked the wheelchair better was because it didn't itch what was left of her left leg. She was so happy to meet Leo's family. She smiled up at him, pecked his cheek, and followed him to the living room.

Leo had never smiled as much in his entire life. He was so happy. He though he and his brothers would die alone. Never to find love, yet here she was, his life. His heart was on his sleeve as he brought her to his brothers.

Master Splinter, who had met Amy before, smiled at Amy. "Hello, Ms Amy." he greeted her.

Amy smiled softly, she went to Splinter and hugged him. She pulled away and looked at the boys, "I'm Amyrillis Wynters." she said, grinning a bit at the boys, she had a southern accent. It showed.

Mikey was just absolutely thrilled to meet someone new, to have the hope that the boys won't die alone. He walked up to her and grinned his 'Mikey Grin'. He shook her hand. "I'm Mikey." completely ignoring what he knew wasn't her real leg.

Amy smiled and shook his hand in return."I thought so." she said and pointed to the turtle clad in purple, "Donny, right?" she asked as she offered her hand.

The turtle in purple nodded. "You've got it." he grinned a bit as he shook her hand, trying his hardest not to look at her leg. "It's nice to meet you." he said to her. "I'm glad you've made my eldest brother so happy."

Mikey laughed. "Leo's always been a drag." he told Amy as he dodged a playful punch from Leonardo.  
>"Hush it Mike." Leo said as he went to Amy, he looked around, now noticing that Raphael was missing. He wrapped his arm around his girl's waist. "Where's Raph?" he asked to the others.<p>

Mikey shrugged. "In his room, he didn't really want to meet Amy." Mikey told Leo.

Amy looked down at her feet, "I'm sorry." she said, her voiced lowered and her accent showing slightly.

Leo shook his head. "Raphael can get over himself." he stated as he led Amy to the couch and allowed her to sit.

Mikey looked to Amy with a grin. "Want something to drink?"

Amy smiled a little at him, her eyes had lost the glow they had when she walked in with Leo, "Water is fine." she told him softly. She then proceeded to ask Leo if she could take off her prosthesis. At his nod, she took it off and lay it down on the ground by her foot.

Mikey nodded as he saw her take off the fake leg. "You got it dudette." he grinned and went on about his task.

She smiled a little more at the nickname and then looked to Leonardo as he sat with her. She lay her head on his shoulder. "I think I'm glad I've met your family. Well, who I met anyway." she said softly.

Leo kissed her head and smiled a little. "I know April is excited to have a new girl around." he told her, leaving Raphael out of the conversation completely.

Amy smiled at Leo, "Well good, I don't really have any girl friends, or any friends for that matter." she said. She took the water that Mikey brought her, "So, you know that Leo's told me about you guys, so anything embarrassing I should know about him?" she asked Mikey and Donny with a grin.

Mikey looked at Leo with a goofy smile on his face, "I think you picked a good one."

Amy giggled at Mikey. "Well of course he did, did you expect any different?" she teased him.

Mikey looked at her and grinned. "No." he said to her. "So how did you two meet?"

She looked to Leo, "I was on the roof of my apartment and he landed on my roof. He and Raph had been fighting." she said looking at Leo with a smile on her face.

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><p><strong>Already working on chapter 2, it will be the meeting of Leo and Amy. <strong>

**PS: this story is not beta'd **


	2. Chapter 2

**This is Chapter 2 of Mending Hearts.**

**In this chapter we will see how Leo and Amy met. It can be a sad scene, depending on how you truly look at it. Read and Review guys**

**Shout out to Bubbly Shell for being my first reviewer!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned the turtles I wouldn't be writing fan-fiction.**

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><p>Leonardo ran from the lair, tears beginning to blur his vision. He had no clue where he was going. He just knew that he wasn't going home, to face his family's tear-stained faces. He couldn't take it. Landing on a rooftop, he sat on the ledge, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. He sighed softly as he pulled his knees up to his chest and wept. He recalled the conversation he had with Donatello:<p>

_"Leo, you have cancer." Donny told him softly, he didn't know how to tell him, so he just ripped the band-aid off._

_"What kind?" Leo asked him, trying to hide his emotions. He felt like crying but he held it in for his brother. His eyes implored Don for an answer._

_"Leukemia." Don told him, brown eyes glazed over with tears._

_Leo nodded, "explains all of the bruises, being tired, and feeling weak." he said softly. "Do the others know?" he asked his brother, hoping that they didn't._

_"Splinter does, he found the results when he came to check on me one night I fell asleep in my lab." Don said sheepishly._

_Leo smiled a little at his brother and hugged him. "I'm going on a run, you can tell the others, I don't think I can stand the pity I know will be in their eyes." he said softly and released his brother and headed for the lab door, "I'll be careful." he said softly, and then he was gone._

Leo felt a presence behind him, he stood and reached for his katana, he saw a beautiful young woman in a wheelchair. She had black hair, just past her shoulders, violet eyes, was averaged sized, not too skinny but not chubby either, she was wearing a soft, grey hoodie with Marines stamped on it, pajama shorts, and blue fuzzy slippers. He also noticed that she only had one leg. He looked at her, not moving, not wanting to scare her, shocked she wasn't screaming. "You're not afraid?" he asked her cautiously, placing his katana back in it's sheath.

The young woman shook her head, "No. Why? Should I be?" she asked him with a small tilt of her head. Curious, she wheeled towards him. "My name is Amaryllis. Call me Amy." she held her hand out to him with a smile on her face.

Leo looked at her, completely and utterly flabbergasted. "Leonardo, call me Leo." he took her hand with a small smile and shook it. "You are one of the few people I actually know who hasn't screamed and/or fainted."

Amy looked at him and took her hand back, "Why did they scream? You're a beautiful creature." she said to him, looking up at his face.

Leo scoffed at that and sat next to her, "People call us freaks." he stated bluntly.

Amy looked at him and smacked him on the shoulder, ignoring the turtle's shocked look. "If anyone on this roof is a freak, it's me, and I'd prefer not being thought of as a freak, I get plenty of that when I go out in public." she frowned down at him.

Leo looked up at her and chuckled after his initial shock. "Well, you most certainly are not a freak, so I guess I'm not either." he smiled a little at her. Her blunt, sarcastic attitude made him feel at ease, and made him forget why he had left home anyway.

Amy laughed at him. "You have a nice laugh." she said before she could stop it. She went with it though. "Why are you up on my roof at.." she looked down at her phone, which was in her hoodie pocket. "... 2 am?"

He looked to her with an "are you seriously asking me that?" look. "I could ask you the same thing." he said and then he sighed defeatedly. "I found out that I have Leukemia." he said just above a whisper.

Amy looked down at him, debating with herself, to touch him or not. She already hit him, so why not. She placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently but firmly. "You seem so strong, you'll beat it." she said softly. "Well, the unasked question is why I'm up here." she said to him with a small smile. "I just got my left leg amputated this afternoon. I'm trying to cope with it." she said with sad eyes.

Leo looked down to his hands which rested at his lap. "Why did you have to get it amputated?" he asked a little shyly.

She looked straight ahead as she remembered. "I was in the Marines until a week ago Corporal Amaryllis Wynters, when I was in a bombing. My team was rescuing students from a school. Terrorists had planted multiple bombs throughout the school. My team members were on evacuation. I was the only one of my team who survived. I barely made it. A beam had fell on my left leg and crushed it, they couldn't save it." she said with tears rolling down her cheeks. "I knew I wouldn't be able to walk again properly, but I had hoped." she whispered. "Even though I don't deserve it. All of my team perished in that school." she looked up to the sky.

Leo moved to where he was kneeling in front of her. "You shouldn't ever think that way." he stated gently. "If you're still here, there is a reason." he placed a hand on her right knee. Her only knee. He said to her.

Amy laid her hand on top of his, "Thank you." she told him, clear gratitude in her eyes. "Really." she told him, squeezing his hand. "You know, the main reason I came up here was to kill myself." she told him in a small voice. "But you stopped me. And now, I truly don't want to die." she said as she felt tears well up in her eyes. "I thought if I was the only one in my team her cheek.

Leo frowned and wiped the tear away. "Don't ever think that." he told her softly. "It might not seem fair but whatever is going to happen will happen." he smiled at her softly in reassurance.

She sighed and nodded. "Okay." she said softly. "Thank you." she smiled a little at him.

Leo felt his shell cell vibrate. He picked it up and answered it. "Hello?" he answered. "Splinter said that?" he frowned and he looked off. "I'll be home soon. Did you tell them?" his eyes glazed over. "Thanks Donny." he hung up and looked at Amy who was looking at him with curious eyes. "I have to go."

Amy nodded. "Will I ever see you again?" she asked him hopefully.

He smiled softly and took her phone and put his number in there. "Call or text me anytime." he told her.

Amy smiled. "Thank you." she said as she watched him leave.

Leo headed home.

_**Hope you guys liked it. Read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome. **_

_**All mistakes are mine. **_


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys, sorry for the wait. I had ideas for this chapter but I can't get my ideas down it seems like… So bare with me, if it's awful, please tell me and I'll delete it or redo it. Thanks guys. Read and review!**

**Disclaimer: totally… yeah I own the turtles… and Hell is frozen and pigs fly…**

**Special thanks to my friend MysteriousFeather for helping me alot with this chapter.**

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><p>Leo waited until he knew everyone was asleep before he came home, he wasn't sure if Don had told them yet or not, but he didn't want to risk it. He walked into the Lair, making no noise as he went up the stairs and into his room, the moment he reached the sanctity of his room he closed the door and panted slightly. He despised feeling weak. Winded just going up the stairs? That was crazy. He slowly made his way to the bed, sitting down he removed his pads and swords and placed them on the floor by his bed and then laid down himself, he reached over and turned his light off. He rolled to his side and fell asleep with his mask on.<p>

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><p>*Morning*<p>

Donatello was up early, pacing the kitchen. He was trying to prepare himself for what he had to tell his family. He knew Splinter would help but he also knew the health questions would be aimed at him. He went to the coffee pot for what was now his 3rd cup. Sitting at the table, he put his face in his hands. He had text April last night for her and Casey to come over for breakfast. He didn't want to worry anyone else that night. Now it was morning, he had no clue what to do, let alone what to say.

The elevator doors opened to reveal a tired Casey and a fresh looking April. She wasn't a morning person but she was a woman. She held Casey's hand as she basically dragged him into the kitchen.

"Where is everyone?" April asked Don, curiously as she went to the fridge and helped herself to a bottle of water and then pointed Casey to the coffee maker.

"Good morning April, Casey." He bowed his head in greeting and went to the stove to put on his tea. "I just woke them, they'll be here shortly." he said as he sat at the table beside Don.

Donnie wasn't looking at anyone, he was looking down into his coffee now. His hands slightly twitching. April gave him a look, her eyebrows raised.

"What's wrong?" she demanded of him sitting on the other side of the purple banded turtle.

"Not yet." Donny whispered, shaking his head slightly, he was waiting on his brothers.

Mikey and Raph came in the kitchen, Mikey looking happy as usual and Raph looking pissed.

"Wha' we doin' up so early for? An' where's Leo?" Raph asked everyone and sitting in a chair, watching Mikey as he followed suit.

Donnie gave a shaky breath, his gaze lingered on his mug as words became to form on his lips. "I've…. as you might have noticed I've been stuck in my lab a little more than usual."

A loud grunt caught his attention and Donnie's soft brown eyes quickly moved to his red masked brother.

"An' that's newsworthy because…"

Donatello knew well enough on how impatient his brother was, especially when it came to his work. But he had to take his time as he spoke, if he said the wrong thing it might cause an explosion from his temperamental brother and there would be no stopping it, not with the news he was burdened with.

Donatello took another breath and started again with more courage in his voice.

"As I was saying, the work I have been doing isn't about some invention or appliance Mikey broke."

"Hey" Mikey interjected

"Anyway" Don spoke hoping he wouldn't be interrupted again. "This work concerns Leo." Now the room was silent and all eyes in the room focused intently on the purple masked turtle.

"I have been running some tests, specifically on blood and the results were… distressing." Donatello waited for another outburst but only silence followed. His eyes moved from each figure in the room, he could easily see the concern in their gazes.

"The blood tests I ran showed an interesting anomaly. I had hoped they were incorrect but after repeating the test countless times I had discovered that Leo's blood had been creating immature blood cells."

"I'm no genius Don but you make it sound like a bad thing." Raph interjected.

"Regrettably it is, immature blood cells means that they are defective which also means that they die." The eyes around the room widened and Donnie's moved back to his mug. He didn't notice how his grip had tightened, his knuckles turning white. 'If I keep this up I'll end up breaking the mug cutting my hand. I have to relax and just get this over with.' Donnie thought to himself.

"There are numerous conditions that could cause this, one I thought might have had to do with our mutation but it actually turned out to be something different… something I never thought could happen to us… something I thought I could control, could at least..." Tears began to burn the purple masked turtles eyes. An unexpected rage began to rise within him and his hands started to shake. Donnie was startled when a pair of small feminine hands grabbed his and his watery brown eyes looked up into April's. A gentle yet concerned smile graced her lips and it only made the turtle feel more miserable.

"The results are irrefutable. Leo… Leo is sick and it's spreading to quickly…"

A rough pair of green hands grabbed his shoulders. Donnie looked up to meet a pair of fiery amber eyes. Raph's body was tense, and his hands started to tighten on his shoulders but Donnie didn't flinch.

"Donnie, what's spreading! Wha' ain't ya tellin' us. Stop spittin' out this science crap and just say it!"

"Leo has Acute Myeloid Leukemia!" The words left Donnie's mouth so fast he hadn't even realized he said them until he saw the look of dread the flashed through Raphael's eyes.

Tears began to fall from Donnie's soft brown eyes as he frantically looked at his loved one's. Each one showing despair, pain, grief. It hurt knowing he was the one who brought on this misery. But it had to be done… I did the right thing. Tears continued to roll down his cheeks. Why does doing the right thing sometimes make me feel so miserable?

A sudden animalistic roar shook Donatello out of his thoughts. Raphael had erupted, and struck the kitchen table with his fist, watching the wood crack when his brother hit the table.

"Raphael!" came Splinter's stern voice. "Calm down!" he told his second eldest.

Raphael slumped in his chair when his father spoke. "Sorry…" he muttered. "I'll find a new one later." he crossed his arms in defeat.

April looked up and met Donnie's eyes, "What are we going to do?" her voice hoarse from crying, tears still trailed down her face, she could care less about them though.

"For once I really don't know… there's so much we don't know about the Leukemia, the equipment needed, let alone how our mutation would react to the Chemotherapy. There's a lot I need to do and I have more tests planned but other then that its really a guessing game."

"You know you don't have to do this alone Donnie." April spoke. "We all want to help, no matter how small the task." But her words went unnoticed, Donnie was now completely focused on the task at hand.

"I'll start doing more research and tests..." he spoke aloud as he ran through different scenarios in his head. "We'll have to put him on a leukemia diet.." he trailed off as he turned on his heel and went to his lab.

April watched him go with great concern and then turned to look at Mikey, who had been uncharacteristically quiet. He was sobbing silently, he didn't have anything to say, unsure of anything right now.

"He'll get through this, Mikey." she stood and walked to him, then crouched beside him and took his hand. "It is Leo we're talking about." She smiled a little for his benefit. She wasn't sure of this AML, but she knew she had to be a big sister to her friends. Possibly even a mother figure, she wasn't sure but she knew she'd be a good listener. She had to be.

"You're right." he said, smiling a little through his tears at her, he hugged April tight.

"It's going to be fine." April rubbed his shell, holding him back, "I know it.." she said softly in his ear slit.

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><p>Raph went to the dojo, Casey following him. He went to the punching bag and took everything he had out on it. After he knocked it off the chain he sat down in the floor, staring at it.<p>

"Man, he's Leo, he'll be okay. He's a fighter." Casey tried to reassure his friend. Raph shook his head.

"How can you fight what you can't see?" he asked rhetorically. He stood and went to the weights and began to lift them, he would go up top but it was daylight and he knew it would make his family worry more. He didn't want that on his family, they have enough on their plates, he had enough on his plate.

"You just fight to live." he shrugged as he watched Raph, spotting him. "I don't know about this kind of thing, never knew anyone with it… or much about it."

Raph put the weights back on the rack and sat up. "I'm going to walk through the tunnels." he stood and walked off. He didn't want anyone to see him cry, and that was what he was about to do.

Raph walked out of the lair moving as fast as he could so he wouldn't be stopped by one of his brothers or Sensei. The tunnel was dark and the sound of rushing water could be heard echoing throughout the tunnels. Raphael's fast pace escalated into a full on run. His vision blurred as the tears began to form, and the area that surrounded him began to mesh into the same dark image.

Raphael's lungs burned as he frantically ran, trying to stop the upcoming tears. A sudden burst of exhaustion hit the gruff turtle and he immediately stopped and started looking for a dry spot to sit. To his right he found a dry patch sat down pulling his knees to his chest. Burying his face in his knees while he wept, for what seemed like an hour. He loved his big brother. He didn't want him to be sick, let alone die.

But what could he do? He wasn't a genius like Donnie, he wasn't a caretaker like April, or a person who could lighten the mood like Mikey. He was Raph, a rough and tough ninja who only knew how to fight. Can't fight what I can't see, which makes me freakin useless.

How was Raph to fight an invisible enemy, an enemy that was killing his brother right in front of his eyes. Oh Leo, what the shell are we gonna do? A terrifying thought raced through the red masked turtles mind. If Leo's gone, what's gonna happen to us, the team?! Raphael's breathing began to quicken. How can we survive without Leo, he's our leader, our brother! Raphael shot up from the floor, pacing, the burning in his lungs starting to return.

I… I can't let this happen! I can't let him die! A roar erupted from his lips and Raph looked for the closest thing to begin his assault on, the wall. Punch after punch the frustration began to life and the horrifics thoughts began to leave and was replaced by a pain in his fists.

With a long sigh the red masked warrior moved away from the wall, not even bothering to look at his hands. We need you Leo… I need ya. Please stay strong bro, please fight.

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><p><strong>And that's it for this chapter guys. Another thanks to my friend MysteriousFeather, She's awesome! Read and review guys!<strong>


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